Garage heater



S. K. WOLFF GARAGE HEATER Dec. 10, 1929.

Filed Oct. 1928 4 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAUL K. WOLFE, or LONG BEACH, NEW YORK, ss GNOR TO AMERICAN GAS PROD- Uo'rs CORPO ATION, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK GARAGE Application filed October 22, 1928.

My invention relates to garage heaters, and more particularly to a construction of gas heater which will afford an adequate safeguard against fire, notwithstanding its use under conditions where the presence of gasoline, oils and other highly inflammable materials is common, and which may be lighted without increasing the fire or explosion hazard.

It is a common practice, in various types of heaters, to guard against the ignition of surrounding combustible gas, vapors or fluids, by using a protecting gauze about the burner as inthe Davy miners lamp to prevent the transmission of flame to external inflammable matter. In all such heaters, however, there has been an element of danger, not only by reason of the use of matches when igniting the gas at the burner, but by reason of the necessity of leaving large areas unprotected bythe opening of doors when so igniting said gas. lVhile provision in some devices has been made for minimizing this hazard, nevertheless the use of such devices has presented a very serious'fire hazard.

Furthermore, the construction of heaters of the type above referred to has been very eK- pensive, which, together with the element of risk during ignition of the gas, has resulted 0 in a very small use ofgas heaters in garages.

With the above conditions in mind, Ihave provided a garage heater burning ordinary illuminating or similar gas, in which the flame from the burner is protected at all times by a gauze enclosure, and in which the gas at the burner may be ignited'without exposing any unprotected areas in a manner to even temporarily afford an entrance for inflammable fumes or vapors.

In a heater embodying the invention, the protective gauze enclosure is surrounded by a housing which is imperforate about the top, sides and ends to an extent to prevent gasoline or other highly inflammable matter being accidentally spilled upon the gauze screen, this outer casing being provided onlywith side and bot-tom openings therein to facilitate the introduction and circulation of air in suflicient volume to properly support combustion at the burner, a gauze protected end opening HEATER Serial No. 314,074.

forming a handhole and an end opening for a flue connection when such is deemed either desirable or necessary.

When assembling-the heater of my invention, the various parts, including the lighter, are brought to, and fixed in, the proper relation, so that it is merely necessary to make the proper gas and electrical connections to per mit the heater to be put into use, the user not being required to change the position or condition of any of the parts. Hence the structural characteristics afiording the maximum safety in the operation of the device in places where fire hazards are great, may be determined in the factory and are not required to,

and cannot easily, be interferred with by the user under normal working conditions.

The various parts are so constructed and assembled as to give the desired permanency in the relation of these parts during use, While at the same time to so simplify the construction and assembly of these parts as to permit a heater to be produced at a very low cost.

lhe invention consists primarily in a garage heater embodying therein a gas burner, a gauze shield completely inclosing and forming a combustion chamber for said burner, a lighter positioned within said shield adjacent said burner, an inclosing outer casing having small openings adjacent the top and bottom thereof for introducing and circulating air through and about said shield, and means, exteriorly of said casing, foractuating said lighter; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. l is a side elevation of a heater embodying the invention with the lower portion of one side of the outer casing broken away;

with a portion of the gauze shield broken j Fig. 5 is a side view of the lighter upon an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the manner of assembling the ends of the gauze shield in relation to the top, bottom and sides thereof.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, I provide a gauze shield of these gauze ends not only provides a reinforced rim for stiffening the ends of the shield structure, but positions the bottom of the dished ends well within the edges of the top, bottom and sides of the gauze shield 10 so as to more effectively stiffen this shield and afford a tight joint at the point of connection of the body of the shield with the ends.

Within the combustion chamber formed by said gauze shield, and adjacent the bottom thereof, is supported an ordinary gas burner 15 drawing .its gas supply from an ordinary service pipe 16.. Said burner is supported by means of brackets 17 and 18 secured to the bottom of the shield portion 10 and to the supports for the shield portion as a whole, thus relieving said bottom portion of the shield, which being gauze has little or no rigidity, from the weight of the gas burner.

Secured to the stiffening flange 11 is a plate 19 having a screw threaded opening therein by means of which, a screw plug 20, of an electrical resistance device 21, may be removably positioned closely adjacent the openings of the burner 15, path of the flame thereof. The plate 19 affords sufiicient support for the resistance device 21, which is of ordinary construction consisting of a wire encircling a refractory core. The screw plug 20 will substantially fill the opening in the end plate 13, although the plate 19 will effectively close any such opening irrespective of the fit of the plug therewith.

Completely inclosing said combustion chamber forming shield 10 at the top, sides and ends thereof is a sheet metal outer casing 22, closed at the top, sides and ends thereof, excepting for the provision of small openings 23 and 24: adjacent the upper and the lower portions of the sides of said casing for the purpose of permitting a free circulation of air within and about said casing and the gauze shield inclosing the burner, for the purpose of supporting COlTIbLIStIOII ad acent said burner, and permitting heated air to flow from Within the casing 22 to the garage.

The bottom of the casing is open as shown but out of the in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. One end thereof is provided with a handhole convenient to the burner 15 and lighter 21 and closed by a removable gauze shield 25 having a friction fit within said handhole. The opposite end, adjacent the top thereof, is provided with a flue nipple 26 which may be used or not as desired, since its non-use will merely result in a less rapid circulation of heated air and products of combustion through the outer casing 22, and the discharge of such within the garage.

Secured to the lower side walls of the casing 22 are brackets 27 and 28, which in turn support cross brackets 29 and 30 to which the brackets 17 and 18 are'secured, and which brackets 29 and 30 also support the gas combustion chamber forming shield 10 completely inclosing the burner and lighterelements of the heater.

Also secured to the'brackets 27 and 28 is a baffle plate 31 closing the open bottom of the outer casing 22 except about the edges thereof so as to cause only an indirect flow of air within and through said casing and the combustion chamber forming shield 10. The baflle 31affords an effective protection against inflammable vapors passing directly from the floor, or from an object immediately below the heater, within and about the gauze combustion chamber forming shield.

The manner of supporting said shield, the parts within same, and the baffle plate 31, spaces said parts in relation to each other in a manner to afford a very effective safeguard against fire as a result of the careless leaving of inflammable matter below the heater.

The top of the casing 22 is made substantially flat, as shown in Fig. 2, and reinforcing strips 32 v are provided above the openings 23 upon each side of said casing, all for the purpose of minimizing the tendency of inflammable matter, spilled upon the top of the gaslng, to flow freely to any of the openings The outer casing 22 is supported by ordinary stove legs 33, secured thereto in any desired manner, said legs being of any desired length.

The terminal wires 34 and 35, for the electrical resistance ignition device 21, lead to a manually operative electrical switch 36 carried by, and exposed exteriorly of, one of the end plates of the outer casing 22.

The operation of the .herein described heater, and the manner of using same, is substantially as follows Before proceeding with the description of the conditions present during the use of a heater embodying my invention, it is desired to point out that the sheet 10 is first bent and secured in the proper form, and the brackets 17 and 18 supporting same attached to the bottom portion of said sheet and to the bracklet-s 29 and 30, the heater then being mountcd upon said brackets.

The gauze end plates 13 and 14:, having had the channels 11 and 12 previously formed therein, are then brought into the proper relation to and forced over the edges of the sheet 10 and secured in position thereto in any desired manner, as by means of the bolts shown, welding or any other approved manufacturing methods, the plate 19 being secured in relation to the end plate 13 during this operation.

The outer casing 22 is assembled entirely independently of the gauze shield, being assembled in relation thereto by merely securing the brackets 29 and 30 to the brackets 27 and 28. 7

The legs 33 may be secured as a part of the manufacturing operation or during in stallation or omitted altogether if wall brackets be used to support the heater, as desired.

The lighter 21 may be assembled in the structure during manufacturing or during installation, as desired, the handhole closed by the gauze cap 25 permitting access to the plate WVhen the heater is placed in service, it will be noted that the burner 15 and the lighter 21 are completely inclosed by the gauze shield, and remain so atall times.

hen it is desired to light the heater, gas

. is permitted to flow to the burner 15, the

switch 36 having previously been closed by pressur applied thereto to bring the coil 21 to incandescence. With the flow of gas from the openings of the burner 15, such gases will be ignited, by reason of the proximity of the lighter 21 to the burner openings, whereupon the switch may be released to interrupt the circuit to the. resistance device 21. An ordinary spring switch is used in order to prevent an unnecessary prolongation of the application of electrical energy to the coil 21.

' The ignition of gas from the burner 15 will be indicated by the audible explosion of the gases or by the presence of glow observable through the removable gauze shield 25.

It will be noted that the construction and arrangement of the outer casing 22 not only It is desired to call particular attention to the fact that access to the interior of the heater is not required under any circumstances, while the heater is in use or when the gas from .from the particular construction and relation of the various parts, remain undisturbed and cannot be eliminated or reduced as a result of carelessness of the user. The only time when it is necessary to expose any openings in the shield about the burner, greater than the openings in the gauze itself, is when it is necessary to replace a lighter 21, but, by reason of the short periods of use of this lighter. such replacement will normally occur only after several years of use of the heater.

By placing the lighter 21 at one side of the heater 15, it is not subject to deterioration from the action of the flame thereon.

It is desired to call attention to the fact that no pilot light is required in a heater embodying the invention.

Vith a high and Wide combustion chamber it is possible to use a long flame burner with out likelihood of fouling the wall of the gauze shield.

This shield ordinarily has a Width of from 6 to 8 inches and a height of from 18 inches to 2 feet. These dimensions, however, will vary.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. A garage heater embodying therein a gas burner, a gauze shield completely inclosing and forming a combustion chamber for said burner, a lighter positioned within said shield adjacent said burner, an inclosing outer casing having small openings adjacent the top and bottom thereof for introducing and circulating air through and about said shield, and means, exteriorly of said casing, for actuating said lighter.

2. A garage heater embodying therein a gas burner, a gauze shield completely inclosing and forming a combustion chamber for said burner, said shield being formed of perforated sheet metal gauze forming the top, bottom and sides thereof, and dished sheet metal gauze ends having channelled rims receiving the edges thereof, a lighter positioned within said shield adjacent said burner, an inclosing outer casing having small openings adjacent the top and bottom thereof for introducing and circulating air through. and about said shield, and means, exteriorly of said casing, for actuating said lighter.

3. A garage heater embodying therein a gas burner, a gauze shield completely inclosing and forming a combustion chamber for said burner, a lighter positioned within said shield adjacent said burner, an inclosing outer casing having small openings adjacent the.

said outer casing, brackets secured thereto and to said 'shield and burner supporting brackets :Within said shield and secured to said last named brackets.

14. A -garage heater embodying therein a P1 gas burner,-a. gauze shield completely incloslug-and forminga combustion chamber for said burner, alighter positioned withinsaid shield adjacent said burner, an inclosing outer casing having small-openings adjacent the top-and bottom thereof for introducing and circulating: air through and about saidshield,

1means,exteriorly of said'casing, for act uating isaid lighter, brackets uponthe sides ,of-sald outer casing, bracketsnsecured thereto-and to said shield; burner supporting brackets Within said shield and secured to said, lastnamed -:brackets,yand-;a baffle plate supported by said bracket structure and adjacent the bottom of :said outer casing below saidshie'ld.

"-5. EA garageheater embodying thereina gas burner, 1a gauze-shield completely inclosing and forming a combustion chamber for said burner, said shield-"being formed of perforated sheet-metalgauzeforming the top, bottom land-sides thereof, and dished sheet .metal gauze; ends having channelled rims receiving the edges thereof, .a' metallic plate having a screw threaded-openingtherein secured to one of said ends, a 'lighterremovably supported by said metallicplate withinsai'd v shield adj acentsaid burner,- an-inclosing outer casing having small openings adjacent the top and bottomithereof for introduci-ng'a-nd circulatingrair through and about-saidshield, and mea-ns,-exteriorly of said casing,=foractuating said lighter.

6. A garage heater embodying thereina gas burner, a. gauze shield completely: inclos- ,mg and fOTHHHgQ'COmbUStlOH chamber ior said burner, an electrical resistance device Within-said shielda'dj a'centsaid burner, an inclosing outer vcasinghaving small openings adjacent the top and bottom thereof for in- 7. A garage "heater embodying therein a gas: burner, aigauze shield completelyTinc'losing and forming a i combustion chamber for said'burner, said shield :bei-ngtfonmed ofperf forate'd sheet metal. gauze forming the top,

= bottom and sides thereofiyand dished sheet metal gauze ends having channelled:rimsreceivlngthe edges i thereof, a; metallic plate having a; screW- threaded opening therein secured toone of said ends, an electricalresist- 1 ance device removably: supported by said metallic= plate Within: said rshieldqad jacentssaid FbLllIlGI', 1 an vlnclosing outer casing having top and -bottom-sthereof- -for introducing and small openings adjacent the topand bottom circulating; air through andabout saidshield, uneans, exteriorly of said casing, forsactuating isaid lighter, brackets upon the sides :of

thereof":tor' in'trodu'cii1g and circulating air through and about said shieldysaid casing said casing, for actuating saidresistancedevice.

In .witnesswhereof I have hereunto aff xed my signature this 18th day of October, I928.

SAUL K. WOLFF. 

